#TIFF25: “IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT” REVIEW

By David Baldwin

Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) is a mechanic haunted by his wrongful imprisonment. By chance, he hears a familiar sound at the shop he works at: the squeaking shuffle of a wooden leg. In this case, it belongs to Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi), who has just come into the shop with his family after his car broke down. Vahid is certain Eghbal is actually the intelligence officer nicknamed “Pegleg” who tortured him and his friends in prison. So he follows and kidnaps Eghbal. But when Vahid confronts him, doubt is sewn over whether this man is really who he thinks it is. 

And so begins the morally and ethically nightmarish thrill ride that comprises prolific Writer/Director Jafar Panahi’s IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT. The film won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year and it is not hard to see why. Each moment is composed with precision, with each passing revelation ratcheting up the tension to unbearable heights. It is just as darkly humorous as it is just plain bleak, and the questions and moral quandaries it asks of the audience are not easy ones to answer. There is at least one sideplot I could have done without, but I saw the film a few weeks ago and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since (especially the brilliant final third). 

Though Panahi’s direction is masterful, the incredibly talented cast really make the film riveting. Mobasseri carries the film wonderfully, really excelling at showing the emotional toll this ordeal takes on him as the film progresses. Azizi does well as Eghbal, who you too will not be sure of, with top notch supporting performances coming from Mariam Afshari and Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, who both get some of the film’s most emotionally charged scenes. The intensity both actors bring to their roles may be offputting to some (as will their many yelling sprees); for others though, it will just be another reason why IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT is an immediate must-see.

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT screens at TIFF ‘25:

Tues. Sept 9 at 8:45 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre

Wed. Sept 10 at 3:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sat. Sept 13 at 9:15 PM at Socitabank Theatre Toronto